Priyakanta Laishram

Priyakanta Laishram (born 7 November 1998) is an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and film editor from the Meitei ethnicity of Imphal, Manipur who predominantly works in Manipuri films, known for his socially relevant and unconventional movies. He is the first filmmaker to make the first mainstream film of Manipur, Northeast India, dealing with same-sex relationships, Oneness (film). He started making children's films at the age of 9 by using a Nokia N70 mobile phone, for which he won several titles including The Youngest Filmmaker 2009 from Nokia and Manipur's Rising Star 2011 from Asian News International.

Some of his notable works are Oneness, The Foul Truth, Up-Close With Priyakanta Laishram, Spaced Out – Panthung Di Kadaaida!, Who Said Boys Can't Wear Makeup?, It's Not My Choice and I am Special.

Early life and education
He was born on 7 November 1998 in the Imphal East district of Manipur. His father Harendra Laishram is a Manipur Police Officer and his mother Jibanlata Laishram was an actress. His elder sister Caroline Laishram is a fashion designer.

Following a battle with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, his mother died in 2016. At the age of 16, he moved to Chandigarh to attend his senior secondary school. He then switched to Mumbai to pursue his bachelor's degree.

At Mumbai University, Laishram earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media with a concentration in Advertising. He also holds an honours degree in Sociology from Chandigarh's Panjab University. He is presently enrolled in Amity University, Noida to pursue a Master's in Journalism and Mass communication.

2007–2011: Mobile phone filmmaking.
Priyakanta Laishram started making short films when he was 9 years old by using a mobile phone, Nokia N70. At the age of 11, his first full length children's film, Lammuknarure was released in 2009.

Later that year, he directed two more children's films, Achumbadi Amarni, shot on Nokia N70 and Chan-Thoibi shot on Sony Cyber-shot camera. He received recognition as Manipur's Rising Star by Asian News International, The Youngest Filmmaker 2009 by Nokia, and Youth Icon 2009 by Mongba Hanba Magazine.

2015–present: Socially relevant and unconventional films.
Laishram stated the following in an interview with Scroll.in on his transition from making films for children on mobile phones to social issue-based films:"'My film-making journey so far has had two phases. I was nine-years-old when I began making films with a Nokia N70 mobile phone. When I made those films, I was a child. Therefore, they had a stronger kid vibe. The second phase began after my senior secondary education. Sexual identity crisis, sexual harassment/abuse, mom’s ALS diagnosis and her death, living by myself in Chandigarh and Mumbai, exploring my sexuality, coming out, and dad's remarriage – many such life-altering events occurred between the first and second phases of my film-making journey, and I also discovered who I was.'"Since the second stage of his career as a filmmaker, Laishram has gained recognition for drawing attention to social issues that are either shameful or taboo. His films are known for focusing on taboo subjects such as child abuse, male rape, LGBTQ issues, gender neutrality, and drug menace. In 2015, he wrote, edited, and directed the film It's Not My Choice, which stars Bishesh Huirem, the first Indian to represent India in Miss International Queen 2016, and depicts the story of a young transgender person named Sanathoi who is deprived of her basic rights. For the movie, Laishram was featured in ''Gaylaxy Magazine. ''The film received critical acclaim upon its premiere, with critics applauding Laishram's direction and writing in particular. The Sangai Express wrote, "Priyakanta Laishram's ability to maintain a straightforward and concise screenplay and dialogue without becoming didactic in conveying his intended message is truly praiseworthy. It is undeniable that he excels in his writing and directorial skills, as evidenced by his remarkable work in this film," while E-Pao cited the film as "One of the most impactful films on transgender visibility".  Laishram won Best Film On Social Cause at the Highland Independent Film Festival 2015, Best Story and Best Filmmaker For A Cause at the Jalandhar Short Film Festival 2015. The film was the first Indian short film to be adapted into Thai language, and the first Northeast Indian short film to get over a million views on YouTube.

I am Special, a documentary-fiction movie he directed, was released in 2017. The true narrative of six differently-abled persons served as the basis for the film.

Later in the year, he featured in the Kangana Ranaut starrer The Bollywood Diva, a music video produced by All India Bakchod and directed by Tanmay Bhat.

His 2018 movie Who Said Boys Can't Wear Makeup? was the first Indian film to deal with gender neutral fashion and men's make-up, for which he won Best Multimedia Influencer Award at the Lifestyle Young Influencer Awards 2018 in Mumbai. The film was premiered at St. Regis, Mumbai in 2018. Apart from boys and men who wear make-up and gender neutral clothes in real life, Inder Bajwa (Former Top Model), Thounaojam Strela Luwang, Bala Hijam, Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia, Peden Ongmu Namgyal (Miss Diva Supranational 2017) and other renowned faces were also featured in the film. Upon release, the film received positive response.

His next movie was The Foul Truth in 2019. The film was about a boy who is a survivor of male rape and child sexual abuse. The film was also known for being the first film from Northeast India to accentuate the hidden truth about male rape. Laishram played the role of a sexual assault survivor in the movie, which earned him critical acclaim for his performance. The film received rave reviews for its theme, direction, dialogue and performances. For his portrayal as a sexual assault survivor, Laishram won Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Symbiosis Allied Media Awards 2019, the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Short Motion Pictures National Wave Festival 2018, Best Actor in a Leading Role at the World Freedom Film Festival 2018, and Best Actor in a Motion Picture—Drama at the Jalandhar National Short Film Festival 2019, while he also won Best Film on Other Social Issues at the St. Leuven International Short Film Festival 2019, Unconventional Film Award at Human Rights Asian Film Festival 2019, Best Screenplay at the Short Motion Pictures Wave National Festival 2019, Best Sound Design at the World Freedom Film Festival 2018 as a director, producer, writer and sound designer. The film was screened at 33 international film festivals. Praising Laishram's performance, The Sangai Express wrote, "He gives a solid performance as the sexual assault survivor 'Thoithoiba' and brilliantly brings out the nuances to deliver a compelling act. He succeeds in spreading his stamp all over the film".

In 2020, his talk-show Up-Close With Priyakanta Laishram was released on his YouTube channel, that raises various social issues including those pertaining to gender and LGBTQ.

In 2021, his film Spaced Out – Panthung Di Kadaaida based on the topic of teen drug abuse was released and acclaimed by the critics.

His 2024 debut feature film Oneness is the first gay-themed movie of Manipur. The movie is based on a tragic true story of a Manipuri gay youth. Alongside Priyakanta, the film stars Maya Choudhury, Suraj Ngashepam and Sachinker Sagolsem in the lead roles. The lead actors, Priyakanta and Suraj, are referred to as Manipur's first on-screen gay couple due to their being the first Manipuri actors to portray gay roles. The movie has climbed IMDb's top 3 Manipuri film lists before its official release. The film made its world premiere at the KASHISH Pride Film Festival 2024, South Asia's largest queer film festival, in Mumbai on May 17, 2024, at Cinepolis. Elle (India) listed the film as one of the top eight, while Mid-Day named it one among the 10 films to watch at KASHISH 2024.

Laishram cited the following when discussing how his entire filmography has shown how he has grown up:"'All my films have witnessed how I have grown up. They have given me the voice I never had, the voice suppressed by the general public and the mainstream media, and they helped me to understand others and myself better. The responsibility I feel as a filmmaker today makes me more and more aware of the issues of society, who I am as a person, and what I need to do as a filmmaker.'"

Public and off-screen image
The Frontier Manipur describes Priyakanta Laishram as "A Hidden Gem Of Manipuri Cinema", who breaks several barriers with his mere perspective and changing the narrative with his thought-provoking scripts. He is cited as the "Torchbearer Of Manipur Queer Cinema" by Northeast Now, who also calls him a rare creature who has mastered the art of using the cinematic medium to expose societal wrongdoings and malpractices in an industry replete with old school directors.

In addition to his work in film-making, Laishram is known for speaking up for a variety of causes and social issues. He made a number of statements about the situation of Manipur during the 2023 Manipur violence in an effort to restore peace and normalcy. He questioned the ignorance and apathy of the central and state governments in relation to the terrible situation in Manipur. In another statement, he argued the ignorance and prejudiced views of those in authority on the horrific war, concentrating solely on the viral video of two women and ignoring other heinous crimes.

Laishram said in an interview with Hindustan Times that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bollywood celebrities' two and a half months of total silence is a very long time and that it is truly very depressing to see how our culture and nation consistently wait for some terrible events to happen before taking a stand for something, even if it means endangering the lives of others. He continued, saying it's awful how the government and the mainstream film industries always ignore what happens in India's northeastern parts but continuously respond to what happens in other foreign countries.

In 2016, Laishram spoke out in favour of the LGBTQ Community, pleading for an end to Section 377. He also actively supports children with cancer through volunteer work.

In 2023, he made a statement about same-sex unions in India, saying that the legal system needed to be set up to protect and enhance human rights and promote marriage equality. He stated that the lack of legal recognition of same-sex marriage denies social benefits and increases prejudice and violence.

Regarding the ban on Manipuri actress Soma Laishram, he denounced organisations and civic bodies in Manipur for their continued practice of banning and cancelling actors for trivial reasons. He talked on how the general populace in Manipur views artists as inferior and treats them poorly.

Laishram represented Manipur at the Rainbow Lit Fest 2023 in New Delhi.